Digital graphic design, image editing, audio editing, and video editing applications (hereafter collectively referred to as media content editing applications or media editing applications) provide graphical designers, media artists, and other users with the necessary tools to create a variety of media content. Examples of such applications include Final Cut Pro® and iMovie®, both sold by Apple Computer, Inc. These applications give users the ability to edit, combine, transition, overlay, and piece together different media content in a variety of manners to create a resulting media project. The resulting media project specifies a particular sequenced composition of any number of text, audio clips, images, or video content that is used to create a media presentation.
Various media editing applications facilitate such composition through electronic means. Specifically, a computer or other electronic device with a processor and computer readable storage medium executes the media content editing application. In so doing, the computer generates a graphical interface whereby designers digitally manipulate graphical representations of the media content to produce a desired result.
One difficulty in media editing is that a user cannot easily evaluate alternatives to existing content in the context of the media project without repeatedly modifying the existing project data. At any given time, the user may wish to preview several potential additions to the project before committing any particular addition to the project.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical graphical user interface (“GUI”) 100 of a media editing application. Specifically, this figure illustrates the GUI 100 at four different stages 110-140: a first stage 110 that is before the user has evaluated any alternatives to a particular clip 150 in the existing content, a second stage 120 that is after a first alternative clip 155 has replaced an existing clip 150 in the composite project, a third stage 130 that is after a second alternative clip 160 has replaced the first alternative clip 155 in the composite project, and a fourth stage 140 that is after a third alternative clip 165 has replaced the second alternative clip 160 in the composite project. As shown in the first stage 110, the GUI 100 includes a timeline 170 that includes various media clips 150, and 180-190. In this example, a user wishes to evaluate several options for the location of the timeline 170 occupied by the “Video—2” clip 150. The operations the user performs will be described in reference to the four stages 110-140 illustrated in FIG. 1.
The first stage 110 illustrates the GUI 100 after the user has loaded a particular composite project. In this stage, the user deletes the clip 150 from the timeline 170 and adds another clip in its place.
The second stage 120 shows the results of this exchange of clips. The original clip 150 has been deleted in the timeline 170 and the “Video—3” clip 155 has been added in its place. In this stage, the user deletes the replacement clip 155 from the timeline 170 and adds another clip in its place.
By replacing the “Video—2” clip 150, the “Video—2” clip (or a reference thereto) is removed from the project data and any data associated with the “Video—2” clip is also lost. This associated data may include video effects data, start and stop points, audio enhancements, etc. Thus, if the user wishes to revert to the project as shown in the first stage 110, the user must delete the “Video—3” clip 155 and add the previously-deleted “Video—2” clip 150 (e.g., by manually replacing the content, performing a series of “undo” operations, or some other way). In addition, after restoring the “Video—2” clip the user may have to trim the content, add effects, or perform other editing operations to return the project to the state it was in before evaluating the “Video—3” clip 155. Furthermore, the user must repeat similar steps in order to evaluate other potential changes to the media project, as described below.
The third stage 130 shows the results of the exchange of clips performed in the second stage 120. As shown in the third stage 130, the first replacement clip 155 has been removed from the timeline 170 and the “Video—4” clip 160 has been inserted in its place. As above, if the user wishes to revert to the project as shown in the first stage 110 or the second stage 120, the user must delete the “Video—4” clip 160 and add one of the previously-deleted clips 150-155 in its place. In this stage, the user deletes the second replacement clip 160 from the timeline 170 and adds another clip in its place.
The fourth stage 140 shows the results of the exchange of clips performed in the third stage 130. As shown in the fourth stage 140, the second replacement clip 160 has been removed from the timeline 170 and the “Video—5” clip 165 has been inserted in its place. As above, if the user wishes to revert to the project as shown in the first stage 110, second stage 120, or the third stage 130, the user must delete the “Video—5” clip 165 and add one of the previously-deleted clips 150-160 in its place.
Thus, there is a need for a media editing application that allows a user to preview multiple candidates for the same location in a media project and resulting media presentation without iteratively deleting content and adding different content in its place.